The Curse of the Truesdale Family
by YamiKaykaMotou
Summary: Syrus is excited about his sixteenth birthday until a call from Zane makes him less excited. Syrus/Jaden. COMPLETE.


**I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. This takes place in the second season, but a kind of AU. There's no Aster Phoenix or Satorius.**

"Hey, big bro!" Syrus said happily as he stood in front of a video phone at school.

"Happy early birthday, little bro," Zane replied, then sighed, and added, "Then again, it probably won't be."

"Huh? What are you talkin' about? It'll be my sweet sixteen."

"Yes and sixteen is going to be an extremely important age to remember."

"Zane," Syrus said sternly. "You're beating around the bush. Spit it out."

"This isn't easy for me to say, Syrus, so here goes: Our family has a curse on it on our mother's side. No one knows how far back it goes or why it was placed, but it's directed at the second-born son."

Syrus swallowed hard. _He_ was the second-born son! "What kind of curse?" he asked slowly.

"It says that on the first full moon after the sixteenth birthday, the second-born son…turns into a girl."

"A girl? But for how long?"

"It's permanent, Sy. You'll be female for the rest of your life. Our mother was a second-born son."

"No," Syrus whispered in horror. "Zane, that can't be true!"

"I wish it wasn't, but I'm afraid it's true. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Bye, Zane," Syrus said flatly before hanging up. _There's no way that's true. A curse that'll turn me into a girl after my birthday? Curses aren't real. It has to be some screwed-up joke of Zane's._ Syrus continued to repeat the second to last thought as he headed for the Slifer dorm and spent the next few days repeatedly telling himself that curses weren't real.

"Happy birthday, Sy!" Jaden called out from below Syrus one morning, startling the short boy from his sleep.

"Uh, thanks Ja," Syrus answered once his heart rate was back under control.

Happy birthday, Private," called Hassleberry.

"Thanks." Syrus climbed down.

"Hey, Sy. Alexis, Hassleberry, Chazz, and me want to take you on an overnight slumber party in the forest tomorrow night, Friday. It's our birthday present to you."

"A camping party? Sounds great. Tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, and it'll be a full moon night, too."

_Full moon?_ Syrus thought. _That's when the supposed curse will activate. But, it's nonsense. Zane's idea of a joke like I believe._ Syrus pushed the curse to the back of his mind as he went to class and packed for the trip at the end of the day.

"Here we are!" Jaden announced at midday on the day after Syrus' birthday. A large clearing stood before them with a large clear lake at the far end of the clearing.

"About time," Chazz complained. He pushed past Jaden and started to unroll his sleeping bag and then deposited his bag beside it. The others exchanged looks before following Chazz's lead. As Syrus unrolled his bag, his eyes drifted to his right where Jaden was laying out his bag. He had a kind of crush on the brunette that came about the time of the graduation match, but never had the nerve to tell him. This seemed to be beside the point now because Syrus felt as if he was in love with Jaden. _I wonder if I should tell him, but what if he doesn't feel the same way? No, I won't tell him. I'll just keep it to myself._

Soon, the party was underway, starting with several friendly games of Duel Monsters. Naturally, everyone wanted to duel the birthday boy and they drew straws to determine who went when. Syrus surprisingly found himself winning his duels and none of them went easy on him. _Maybe my skills are improving,_ he thought, pleased with himself. Dinner was an early affair and after s'mores and ghost stories, people started drifting off to sleep one by one until only Syrus was awake. He felt restless and anxious, though he didn't know why, but he had his suspicions that he really didn't want to accept: That he was waiting for the curse to occur.

_Maybe a walk around the lake will help._ He crawled out of his bag and headed for the lake and was soon strolling along its edge. He circled the lake a few times and felt himself getting tired. He stopped right where he had started and simply stared at the lake. He saw the reflection of a full white moon appearing in the water as the real moon rose in the sky, shedding its milky light over the area.

A throbbing headache made Syrus grab his head and fall to his knees. He moaned softly to avoid waking the others. He bend his head as his body burned and seemed to elongate. He felt his hair flatten and the burning increased before abruptly ending.

Syrus breathed hard and as he lifted his head, he saw a pair of breasts. He jerked his head up and held up his hands to see that they were delicate and very feminine. He, or rather she, gasped. _No! This can't be! I can't be a girl!_ She crawled toward the edge of the lake and looked down. She was stunned at what she saw.

Syrus stared at the image in the lake as the full moon shined down from above. She had gotten a little taller- about Jaden's height if she had to guess- and her sky blue hair now laid flat and had lengthened to her waist. Her silver eyes were still wide and had a delicate look to them. Her lips were full, breasts that matched Alexis', her arms and legs were slender and longer. Her vision then blurred and when she took off her glasses, she saw perfectly.

She continued to gaze down at her reflection. _I cannot believe that's me just as I didn't believe Zane when he told me about the family curse over the video phone. But, it's all true: The second-born son will become a girl permanently on the first full moon after his sixteenth birthday. Oh, man. How is the gang gonna react to me?_ Sighing, Syrus stood up and returned to the campsite, swaying slightly due to her new height and her breasts messing with her center of balance. She returned to her bag, noting that her pajamas were a bit short now. The pants were now like shorts and her top was tight due to her breasts. She snuggled down into her bag and softly cried over her situation until she fell asleep.

Sunlight fell on the campsite and onto Jaden's face. His eyes blinked open and squinted at the light as he sat up and looked around at his still sleeping friends. Across from him was Alexis with Hassleberry on her right and Chazz on her left which was his right and on his left was Syrus…or was it? He stared at the figure in the bag next to him.

It sort of looked like Syrus and yet it wasn't. The hair was the same color, but it was longer and laid down flat. The body seemed longer, too. _Did Sy have a growth spurt overnight? I mean, this person seems to be my size._ The figure rolled over and Jaden's eyes widened.

It wasn't Syrus at all, but a girl who could pass for his twin and she was pretty. He couldn't get over how attractive she was, yet Syrus' whereabouts concerned him and maybe this girl knew where he was. He crawled out of his bag and toward the girl. He saw dried tearstains on her cheeks and briefly wondered why she had been crying as he gently shook her shoulder. "Hey, wake up," he said softly.

"Jaden?" came Alexis' voice. Jaden looked up to see Chazz and Hassleberry also awake and looking at the girl in Syrus' bag. "Where's Syrus?" the blonde continued.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Right here," came a new voice. Jaden looked to see the girl was awake. She had wide soft silver eyes. Jaden removed his hand as she sat up to reveal that she was wearing pajamas like Syrus', only the pants were like shorts and the top was tight across her chest. She dropped her gaze to her lap.

_She looks similar to Syrus and is dressed in his pajamas as well as sleeping in his bag. But, is she Syrus? That's not possible. Is it?_ Jaden thought.

"Is that really you, Syrus?" Alexis asked. "I mean, how did this happen?"

"Yeah, it's me." Syrus inwardly winced at the sound of her voice. _Get used to it,_ she thought to herself. _That's your voice from now on._ "It's a curse passed down through my family on my "mother's" side." She made quotes around the word _mother._ "The curse says that the second-born son will become a girl on the first full moon after his sixteenth birthday. I didn't know this until Zane told me a few days before my birthday."

"Sy, are you saying your mother-," Jaden began.

"Was a second-born son? Yes, she was. Zane told me."

There was silence and then Hassleberry said, "I always thought Syrus was a wuss. Turns out Syrus was actually a girl." He grinned at his idea of a joke.

Syrus snapped her head up and scowled at the Ra boy. "That's not funny," she snapped. "I spent days hoping Zane was wrong and then last night dashed those hopes." A tear slid down a cheek. "You have no idea what it's like living like a guy for fifteen years and then finding out you'll actually live the rest of your life as a girl!" Syrus' voice had risen in pitch and volume and was hysterical at the end.

"Whoa! Easy, Sy!" Jaden put an arm over her shoulders and squeezed slightly. Syrus gripped her arms, lowered her head, closed her eyes, and shook her head. "Hey, where are your glasses?"

"In my bag, but I don't need them anymore. My vision's perfect now." Syrus' voice was soft again and had a tone of sadness to it. Jaden felt bad for her. He probably wouldn't be acting any differently if he suddenly became a girl.

"Sy, is there anything we can do to help?" Jaden asked. "A cure or-,"

"There is no cure," Syrus interrupted. "I'm a girl now, I can't go back to how I was." She lifted her head, opened her eyes, and exhaled slowly. "I'll have to explain to Crowler and I'm not looking forward to it."

"Before you do, you'll need clothes that fit," Alexis said. "I would be happy to help."

"Thanks, Alexis. I appreciate that."

Syrus stood outside the Chancellor's office, shifting on her feet. She had a pair of Alexis' ankle boots that were small for the Obelisk girl, but fit her perfectly. A black skirt and a white shirt with a new Ra yellow jacket cloaked her body as did a bra and panties. Her long hair was tied back to keep it out of the way. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, the door sliding open.

Crowler looked up from the paperwork on his desk and he raised an eyebrow at the girl that walked in. "Yes? Can I help you?" he drawled before looking again: The girl wore a Ra Yellow jacket. _I didn't think there were any girls in Ra. Hmm, maybe I should familiarize myself more with the students._ The phone on the desk rang and Crowler said to the girl, "One moment, please." He picked up the phone. "Hello?" His eyes widened and he grinned. "Zane, my boy! What a surprise! Yes, of course we can utilize the view screen." He pushed a button, the screen flared to life, and Zane's face appeared on it as Crowler put the receiver down.

Zane's eyes looked Syrus up and down before focusing on Crowler who said, "Do you want a private meeting? I can have her wait outside."

"No. My call is about her." He looked at his now little sister again. "Let me say, you're very pretty now, Syrus."

"Thanks, big bro," she answered, blushing slightly and ducking her head. She felt different about her brother complimenting her than the comfort of her friends, possibly because he was family.

"Syrus!?" Crowler exclaimed, getting the girl to look at him. "What? How?"

"I regret not informing Shephard, you, and especially Syrus last year," Zane said. "An old family curse turns the second-born son into a daughter on the first full moon after his sixteenth birthday. There's no way to break it."

"How did you know I was going to tell Doctor Crowler?" Syrus asked.

"Alexis called me and told me about it.

"And with your permission, Doctor, I would like to take Syrus clothes shopping."

"Permission granted. When will you arrive?"

"I am already en route. Wait for me at the landing pad, Sy."

"Okay. See you soon." The screen blinked off and Syrus was about to leave when Crowler's voice stopped her.

"Syrus, I am sorry this curse came down on you."

Syrus looked back over her shoulder. "I appreciate that, Doctor. I will adjust, hopefully soon." She left the office and headed for the landing pad to await her brother's arrival. A fancy helicopter appeared on the horizon and within twenty minutes touched down on the pad. A door slid open and Syrus immediately got in, sat down beside Zane before the door closed and the helicopter lifted off.

Zane put an arm around Syrus' shoulders. "You're prettier in person…little sis."

"Zane…how long did you know about the curse?"

"When I first started Duel Academy. I was told not to tell you until a few days before your sixteenth birthday so you would have some time to prepare yourself. If you were told ahead of time, years really, you might of spent that time confused if you should act like a boy or a girl."

Syrus nodded. "Okay. I can see that. I think the curse was starting to influence me late last year."

"How's that?"

Syrus blushed slightly. "I…had a crush on Jaden. Now, though…I think I love him."

"Go with the feeling, Sy. You usually made your decisions based on emotion. I see no reason why you shouldn't still do that. Also, I think you should ask Alexis for girl advice."

"Alexis? Why not Mom?"

"You could talk to Mother if you want. I thought Alexis since she's the same age."

_I could do both. I need advice on how to adjust, so I'll call Mom. Everything else, I can ask Alexis about._

Several hours later, the helicopter landed on Academy Island and both siblings got off, each one carrying a sports bag of clothes and other essentials. "Uh, Zane? I'm still bunking with Ja."

"Because of your feelings for him?"

"No, 'casuse of a Ra freshman. He's trying to be Ja's best friend and that's my spot."

"I see." The two started toward Slifer. "He's your rival."

"Exactly."

"Suppose Jaden becomes your boyfriend. What then?"

Syrus paused. "I…I don't know. I suppose Hassleberry could be Ja's new best friend." Syrus climbed the stairs with Zane behind her and opened the door to see Jaden and Hassleberry sitting on the floor in the middle of a duel. "Hi, guys. I'm back and I brought a guest." She took off her shoes and stepped aside to reveal Zane.

"Hey Zane," Jaden said, bouncing to his feet and headed over, hand outstretched. "It's sweet to see you again."

"Likewise, Jaden." He took the offered hand.

"Hey, wait." Jaden released Zane's hand to look at his roommate. "Sy, what did you mean by 'I'm back'? You go somewhere?"

Syrus resisted the urge to face palm at Jaden's apparent obliviousness to her whereabouts. Zane replied, "Crowler gave me permission to take Sy shopping for clothes and other essentials." He nodded to the bags.

"Well," Hassleberry drawled. "And here I thought you had retreated to the Ra dorm."

"Why would I do that? I live here. Besides, I could ask you why you're not at Ra."

"I'm here for my buddy." He nodded at Jaden.

"So am I." Syrus glared at Hassleberry who glared back.

Zane and Jaden watched the heated exchange, the latter surprised while the former watched with interest. _Syrus has grown-up in the short time I've been away. She's standing up for herself. It's nice to see._

Syrus continued to glare at the freshman, determined not to back down. His comments about her being a wuss and finding her as a girl still hurt and she wasn't going to take his demeaning comments anymore. She admired Alexis' way of standing up for herself and never backing down in her beliefs and wanted to emulate that behavior. It seemed to her that Hassleberry sensed that Syrus wasn't going to back down easily because he got to his feet and stepped up close to her, looming. The only thing was his looming wasn't as effective as it used to be due to her new height being the same as Jaden's now.

"Whoa, hey!" Jaden spoke up, standing beside them and putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Are you two arguing over who my best friend is? Why can't both of you be my best friend? I mean, someone can have more than one best friend, right?" He looked at Zane for support of this notion.

"Certainly, Jaden. One can't have too many best friends." Truthfully, Zane felt you could, but two best friends? That was workable.

Syrus and Hassleberry continued to glare for a moment longer before both looked away at the same time. "Yeah, I guess we could do that."

"I think so too," Syrus said.

"Good." Zane set down the bag he was still holding. "Then, I can go and get ready for my next duel."

Syrus turned around, walked up to Zane, and seized him in a tight hug. "Bye Zane and thank you."

Zane took a moment to stroke her hair. "You're welcome and remember what we talked about."

"I will." Syrus released Zane and watched him leave the room. She closed the door, and then turned her attention to her new purchases. _I didn't know I needed so many things. It's a bit overwhelming._ She put the last of the things away before heading for the door and putting the boots on.

"Where are you off to?" Hassleberry asked.

"The school. I need to make a call."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Mom." Syrus closed the door behind her.

"Oh, honey. I was hoping you would call."

Syrus nodded. "Zane explained why no one told me before, but he also said you came under the curse and I thought you could advise me on how to adjust."

"You've already started: You're wearing girl clothes. It took me a long time before I did due to the fact that I had no one to talk to."

"What?"

"Both sets of your grandparents were only children. I had one older brother and one younger brother as you know. I was friends with your father before I turned sixteen and after I changed and explained it to him, he and I eventually fell in love. I felt awful when I had you because I knew you were cursed, but I loved you just the same. I've been wanting to advise you in order to make sure your adjustment was smoother than mine. So, here goes. It's okay to act like a girl and don't resist any thoughts or feelings that seem girly to you. It's normal to feel and think the way you do or will do."

"Mom, in short I act the way I want and let my girl instincts guide me."

Mrs. Truesdale's face softened and nodded, smiling. "That's it, sweetheart. You've got this. But, if you've got any question, don't hesitate to call."

"I will. Bye Mom and thanks." Syrus hung up and felt a little better about her curse. She still had a hard time believing it was her every time she looked in a mirror or reflective surface, but she knew she would eventually not give a second thought. _All I have to do to adjust is let myself act like a girl since I'll be one from now on._

She returned to the dorm to find Jaden, alone. "Where's Hassleberry?" she asked, removing her boots.

"He said he need to see Bastion about something." Jaden shrugged. "He didn't explain why."

"Okay." She crawled into her bunk and laid there, paying close attention to her body's movements. She felt her hair against her neck instead of the pillow, she watched her breasts rise and fall as she breathed, and then held up her hands to see her slender fingers and saw nails that extended just past the skin. _I could let them grow out; that's what most girls do._

"Hey, Sy?"

She stuck her head over the edge, her hair dangling over one shoulder. "Yeah, Ja?"

Jaden seemed a little startled by Syrus looking down at him, her hair hanging over the side. "Uh, could you come down?"

"Sure, no problem." She crawled over to the ladder, came down, and sat by Jaden on the bed. "What's up?"

"Sy, are you really okay with this? I know there's no breaking it, I just want to know if you're okay."

"I'm fine, really. I talked to Mom and she said I'm already adjusting better than she was because of how I'm dressed. All of my grandparents were only children and Mom had one older brother and one younger brother. So, she had no one to help her and she felt awful when I was born because she knew I carried the curse. She had been hoping I would call so that she could start helping me adjust."

"Wow. I guess she's been wanting to say that for years, huh?"

"I think she has. You know, now I know why she kept telling me I got the good looks in the family." She smiled as she ran a hand down her hair and then noticing that Jaden didn't seem convinced. "Seriously, Ja. I'm adjusting nicely. I know it'll be a bit strange at first as I start acting like a girl, but it'll eventually be normal."

"Mmm-hmm." Jaden looked at her face. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the curse activated and he had grown used to Syrus' new look, voice, and attitude by now and he thought she was still attractive to him. _I had thought Syrus was cute toward the end of last year, too. Was the curse starting to work on her then?_

"Uh, Jaden? You're staring at me and it's creeping me out."

Jaden shook his head. "Sorry. I was thinking about how…beautiful you are." Jaden's eyes widened and his face reddened. _Oh, man! I didn't mean to say that out loud!_ "I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "I-I didn't-,"

Syrus put her fingers on Jaden's lips to silence him. She felt amused at his embarrassment; it was cute, in a way. "It's okay. I had a crush on you late last year. The curse might have started to influence me back then. And shortly before I changed, I found that…that I love you." Her cheeks reddened as she removed her fingers.

"Really?" Jaden finally said. "I found you attractive when I first saw you this morning. I still find you attractive now."

"Well, since we're both attracted, maybe we could, uh…"

"Date?" Jaden suggested. "I'd like to be your boyfriend."

"And I would like to be your girlfriend so, yeah we can date."

"Sweet." Jaden put a hand on Syrus' before both lifted them and intertwined their fingers. "You know we'll have to let Hassleberry know."

"Yeah, but that can wait. Besides, we have to get used to being a couple ourselves."

Jaden looked at Syrus' lips briefly before leaning forward to lightly bring his lips on hers. Syrus unwound her fingers and put both hands on the back of Jaden's neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Her right index finger ran across part of Jaden's hair that rested along his neck and she heard her boyfriend sigh contently.

Neither one heard the door open, but heard a voice exclaim, "What the hell?" Both separated and while both blushed, Syrus said, "Get used to it, Hassleberry. Jaden and I are a couple now and if you don't like it, you can go back to Ra."

_I think dating Jaden is definitely making bearing my curse a whole lot better and easier._

The End


End file.
